Are we really related to these people?

It's a long one folks, don't say I didn't warn ya!

2009-08-09T13:27:00.014-04:00

Well, it has been awhile. Alot has happened, and many of you know the story, and some don't, so for those who have yet to be aware of what has been going on with us, here goes.
We had planned on taking Bailey to church for the first time on Sunday morning July 5th, when she woke just before 6 am with a fever. We tried to cool her down and determine what it was from for nearly 2 hours, taking her temp, monitering her, trying to nurse (which she wouldn't do). She acted like her belly hurt, and maybe needed to poop, but we weren't sure. Finally, we took her temp one last time and it read 101.8. That was it, and we took her in.
We entered Dublin Methodist ER around 9 am, they looked her over and decided we would be better just to head for Children's Hosp, as they are better equipped for such a little one. They called ahead, and we meet them in the ER here. They took blood and urine samples right away to be cultured, and attempted to do a spinal tap to test her spinal fluid as well, but got only a little bit of blood. Began anti-biotics right away, b/c with babies so little, you can't wait around for test results to begin treating. After all that (several hours) we were admitted and put on the 6th floor, infectious diseases, b/c we did not know what we were dealing with. The remainder of the evening and over night, we were treating her fever with tylenol and continued antibitocs, and giving fluids to hydrate. Each time the tylenol would begin to wear off, her fever would spike higher than before, staying between 102 and going as high as 104.2 She was so miserable the whole night, whining and grunting in pain. It was a very long night and things did not get better in the morning. We had seen that she began to swell, and what we were learning is that whatever this infection that we were fighting was, was causing her blood vessels to leak. And that meant that, like a soaker hose, the fluid still got to where it needed to go, but also that along the way, it was pooling in her lungs, making it harder for her to breathe. That afternoon (Monday) was the worst of my life. We were watching helplessly as Bailey suffered and struggled to take a breath. During the transport from 6th floor to 4th floor, where the PICU was located (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) I could see her turning purple even up into her belly. It was at that moment I realized that we really may lose her. I couldn't vocalize that to Brian at the time, b/c I was in shock and refused to say it aloud for fear that it might come true. As we sat in the ICU waiting room, I tried not to think about the fact that we had no idea what all was happening to our little girl. During the 2 hours that we were waiting to be able to go back and see Bailey, they had sent up the chaplain, several nurses and a doc to talk with us. They were keeping us updated as they could, but continued to tell us we had to wait. FInally, the doc came out and told us that they had intubated Bailey (breathing tube with machine to breathe for her), set a central line IV in her thigh, filled her with fluids to get her temp down, and completely sedated her and placed a feeding tube in her nose. Basically, Bailey was working so hard to breathe, that her heart rate was up over 200 and the rest of her body was shutting down.
We spent 5 days in the PICU, just working to get her blood pressure to stablize, start feeding her very small amounts of milk directly into her small intestine via the feeding tube (bypassing her tummy so that there would be no danger of regurg and aspirating anything into her lungs) just keeping on the vent to allow her adequate rest to recoop before allowing her to wake up and work at breathing on her own and so forth.
As her BP and temp slowly stabalized, we weened her off of the epinephrin and began to talk about and actively weening her off of the ventilator. Then off of the sedatives and pain meds. Began giving her lasix to get the fluids off of her (she was VERY swollen all over) took out her catheter, and other things I'm sure I am forgetting. There was alot going on! Friday she had a PICC IV line placed in her right arm, which is a long term IV for administering the antibiotics, which allows us to leave the hospital and administer the remaining course ourselves with help of home nurses. Then in the afternoon, the breathing tube came out, and our little girl started waking up and looking around, somewhat groggily. Saturday we moved back up to the 6th floor, and have been working on regaining strength and nursing successfully. As of Wednesday morning, the doctor gave her a clean bill of health, the feeding tube was removed, and we plan on going home Thursday. We and the doctors to this day have no idea what exactly was wrong, all the test results came back negative. Basically we are calling it a septic shock/infection (septic basically refers to an infection of the bloodstream)

Throughout this entire experience, we have seen God move in sooo many ways. We heard from numerous ICU nurses that she was the worst septic case they had seen in a while, and that her recovery in under a week was nothing short of miraculous. They said most babies that sick usually spend 2 or 3 weeks in ICU. This hospital is amazing, we have been amazingly well cared for, and we're thankful everyday for them saving our little girl's life. We met a few parents of other patients, and were so blessed by those new friendships, and equally heartbroken by their stories. And we can't say a big enough thank you to everyone who visited us here, and especially to those who brought meals. To have a community of friends and family who take care of each other like this is a gigantic blessing. To all of you, please know that we are so grateful, and if ever a need like this should arise for any of you (God forbid), we will be the first bearing a ridiculously great meal. We also know that the outcome of this saga would be totally different had it not been for the millions of prayers going up on Bailey's behalf. Prayers from people who have never seen or met this precious little girl. We saw firsthand the fruits of those prayers. So thank you most of all for that.
Mabri did amazingly well, staying with her grandmas, but it was torture to be away from her. It has been time of adjustment for the past couple of weeks, so we ask that your prayers continue for us, the MIllers.
Needless to say, we were glad to se July go. For about 12 days after we got home from the hospital, we had home care nurses coming once a day to check on Bailey and check her PICC line, and we administered IV antibiotics 3 times a day to finish out the 21 day course.
We are now getting adjusted to being a family of 4, and doing well. Mabri loves her little sis, and tries so hard to help her. She is the pacifier police, and the moment that thing pops out, Mabri is on it.
Bailey is doing wonderfully. She is growing and changing so fast, and normalcy is here. She fights sleep like her big sis did and has no problem letting you know when she is unhappy with her squeal. She is my sweet baby girl.
Here are a few pictures for you all to feast you eyes on. These did not load in the order that I wanted, so I hope they don't confuse anyone!

Yes, we were actually sleeping like this!

Little sis and big sis - little sis not happy!

After the hospital experience, Mabri was really into "medicine" and apparently Daddy was very ill.

Bailey's ICU room, and all the machines...

Bailey on day 2 of ICU...you can see that she is very swollen, and has the vent tube and feeding tube, and is sedated.

...and Bailey earlier today NOT taking her nap!

...the aftermath of Mabri finger painting earlier today.

...the result of Mabri finding Mommy's WATERPROOF mascara...right before we were leaving for church.

Mabri in her "bincess" (princess) atire.

Can you believe it??!!

2009-06-29T07:53:00.005-04:00

WOW..... the end of June is here. This year is just flying by and we are so happy to introduce to the world our new baby girl.
Bailey Grey Miller was born at 2 am Friday morning, the 26th. She weighs in at 9 lbs 15 oz, and measures 20 1/2 inches long. The entire birth process was so amazing, Brooke was incredible, as was our midwife and everyone who helped in any way. I know it's been a long time since we did anything on here, so we apologize for that if you've been following... To our credit we did misplace our camera for about a month and found it only a few days before the birth.... Whew! Mabri is loving her little sister, and is planting kisses on her left and right.... Her vocabulary is exploding right now, she comes up with stuff every day, and Brooke and I look at each other and say, "We didnt teach her that!" She's got the ABC song pretty much down, except for that tricky stretch of LMNOP, and she also loves Row your boat and Twinkle, twinkle. She also has her own stubbornness and attitude down at times, but we're working on it. She loves to help Mommy cook and clean, as well as other baby related activities that mommies do, as you will see.....

So here's some pics of the new little one and also of the curly headed little munchkin:

I'm Two Years Old! What's Mommy Gonna Do?

2009-03-02T20:44:00.012-05:00

Yes, my little hair monster has turned two. It's so hard to believe that we are at this point already. Mabri has turned into quite the little girl. Everyday we get closer to full sentences, please and thank you come more voluntarily, and the best thing to hear in the world has to be when out of nowhere she looks at me and says "I love you, Mommy." Ah, my heart. She is really into singing little songs (very short versions of longer songs!) and many that we don't understand. She especially likes to sing in the car at the top of her lungs when Mommy is on the phone. She has really become my little helper in the kitchen, always up at the sink with me, sitting in her spot on the counter watching me cook, dumping in her own ingredients, and putting away clean dishes and silverware for me. She puts her own socks and shoes on (when they don't require tying) and really likes putting her own pants on too. The shirts we are still working on! We'll be doing really good when she can comb her own hair.
Mabri had a great little birthday party. Both sets of grandparents were able to be there, along with several of the kids that Mabri sees most often (and of course their parents!). We had a lot of fun, a lot of food and of course a lot of cake. And now for pictures!

Buddies

Trying to blow out the candle. Daddy had to help!

The cake with LOTS of gooey frosting!

Brian and I got her 2 guppies and a little tiny frog as part of her birthday present from us. She loves fish and frogs.

Pure excitement.

Pure sugar.

She is definately learning to strike a pose.

This is the face that makes it all worth it. Love this kid.

Well, that's all for now. Hope you are blessed today.
Brooke for the Miller's

So many new pictures, guess it's time to post!

2009-01-22T15:12:00.011-05:00

Well, I relaized that I have been taking alot of pictures/videos the last couple weeks, and so i must share a few of them with you all.

Here is what a time-out can sound like. Someday, they will think this is funny.

Super cheese!

Buddies

My pretty girl

Sometimes we try to save time by putting our legs in one pant leg.

Mabri decided that we needed something more added to our wall . . . there was a VERY long time-out to go with this 8 foot wide piece of art. It's amazing what kids can accomplish in 5 minutes or less while you are getting a much needed shower.

She desperately wanted to take her gloves to naptime with her . . . I guess her hands were cold.

Watching the Inauguration . . . hmmmm . . . is the economy fixed yet?

Well, TTFN! (Ta ta for now) Hope we made ya smile for a minute!
Brooke for the Miller's

We have some catching up to do!

2009-01-05T20:34:00.018-05:00

Hi everybody. I decided it was high time our blog get updated, so here we are, Brian is watching the game and I am hard at work letting you all know what has happened in our household for the past month.
Mabri has had a "verbal growth spurt" if you will. Last week we were shocked to hear so many new things that we know she was just catching in conversation by listening to us. SCARY! At least they were all good things. I think my favorite has been "you're welcome" she knows that it follows "thank you". People overhearing her would think we have a very polite well-behaved child, and some days they would be correct. Most days, they would see her and realize that the terrible two's have arrived and reared their ugly head. Let's just say that bad attitude, meltdowns and fits are an all too normal part of our day. Nevertheless, she is a walking, talking, full-fledged little person now, and I love it despite the attitude! She is soooooo stubborn and strong-willed (does every parent think that about their 2 year old?) and that will be a good thing someday, but not when mommy asks you to pick up your toys. *Sigh*
As for me, I am feeling much better, the nausea is pretty much gone, although the exhaustion is not. I truly enjoyed our Christmas break, and we were so busy. We got to spend alot of time with alot of family and friends and got to have our very first Christmas morning just the 3 of us, which was nice. Mabri loved opening all her gifts from everyone, and playing with her cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents throughout the 2 weeks that our Christmases spanned.
Brian is doing fine as well. I'd say apart from the time off work and time with family and friends, his favorite day was just this past Saturday. He was gifted with some Christmas money, and decided to have a little fun with it and became a proud new papa . . . of an Epiphone Firebird. Need I say more?
Ok, on to the explanation of pictures . . . and some of them will need some explanation!

Here is Mabri playing her guitar, helping Daddy prepare for Sunday morning worship. Love love love this!

Here we are having just a bit of a fashionista breakdown. She got some dress up stuff from Cousin Carter and after getting it on first thing in the morning, decided she wasn't happy with oatmeal for breakfast.

Here she is with her cousins Carter and Cole. Trust me, it was tough to get them all in one place at one time.

Brian's Mom tried something new this year. As part of our Christmas festivities, we dressed up and sort of acted out the Christmas story. Pappy read the story from the Bible, while Carter and Mabri were supposed to be the sheep in the Nativity scene. Mabri was a rather reluctant sheep and never actually sat by the Baby Jesus as part of the scene. She preferred wandering around the shop. Wonder what that says about her?

Yes, she is starting to want to "dress up" and Brian's Christmas boxers are no exception.

Mabri got a tent and sleeping bag from her Grandma and Grandpa in Indiana, and she loves it. Camping trip, here we come!

Daddy and Mabri playin' in the tent!

Last but not least, Mabri received some bath crayons from Mommy and Daddy. Let's just say they are a HUGE hit. The great thing about this kid is that if you give her a washcloth, she'll scrub the tub wall with you. What a good helper!

Well, I think that may be it for us. I need to wrap it up anyways. It's past 9 pm, my bedtime and all. I am surprised I am still conscious. Til next time, peace and cheese curds. (no idea what that means, don't ask, pregnancy brain.)
Love from the Millers'

Yes, I know it's been awhile . . .

2008-12-08T07:41:00.020-05:00

Sorry everyone. I sure hope that by now you know not to hold your breath to see an update from us. We do the best we can. Life has been busy and tiring lately, and most days I'm not too sure why. I can get thru a day (and right now I am just "getting thru") and wonder what I did and if I really accomplished anything. I know that is the norm with kids, but still, I wonder . . .
We had a nice thanksgiving. We spent Thanksgiving Day with Brian's family and ate ourselves into oblivion and Trivial Pursuited (can I make that a verb?) also into oblivion. The next day Brian had to work a partial day, and then we left for Indiana to see my family and spend the weekend at my parents' house. There we also ate our selves into oblivion, and just RELAXED for awhile. It was good to see our families and be able to just spend time with them. We love you guys!
Now, we are gearing up for the Christmas season. For us that means tons of cookies (Mabri and I are leaving tonight to stay with Renee's family in Indiana to make 3 million doz. Christmas cookies and candy for a day), we just had an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party (i will post our family portrait from that later) caroling with our church, and two Christmases, one here in OH and one in IN, and lots of family time. I love this time of year simply because once we get to where we are going, we can just hang out. Everything else can turn into a blur because the pace of life is so crazy or feels mundane, but just having down time with the fam is awesome. I know that the pressure of the economy and life can put a damper on things and believe me, we are feelin' it, but I am so thankful for all our family and friends. You guys are a large part of what makes our life. We are thankful for each and everyone of you.
So, now that I have gotten the sappy stuff out of the way, how about some pictures?

Yes, the hair keeps getting bigger and more out of control. It will eventually act like hair, right?

Mabri is really into "watching" and "helping" these days. She is constantly pushing a chair to the sink or the stove to watch what Mommy is up to. You'll notice the wet spot on her shirt . . . that extended down to her knees.

My sweet husband doing dishes for me and his big helper. Dishes make me gag alot these days. Maybe I'll keep that up for awhile if it gets me out of dishes . . .

Teaching George to use the potty like a big . . . monkey?

Just in case you were thinking Mabri is perfectly behaved all the time, let me squash those rumors now. This is what timeouts look like these days. Nose to the wall.

First time out in the snow this year. She LOVES snow, and was pretty mad when it was time to come in and eat dinner.

This may be the reason it took so long for me to update this blog. On most nights, if it's after 9pm, this is where you will find me and probably in the the state of unconsciousness.

Well, that's it from me. We hope you all have a fantastic and blessed Christmas season. If we don't get back here 'til then, Merry Christmas and we'll see you in the New Year!
Brooke for the Miller's

Big news, Big news

2008-10-29T14:57:00.009-04:00

hey all, and welcome to the latest edition of the life and times of the Millers. I can't believe it's November already. Mabri is starting to really emulate us more and more, which is somewhat scary. She's amazingly smart. She is really developing her own personality, to the good and the bad. She's learning new words every day, some that we teach her, and some she just picks up from somewhere, and all of sudden she says it, and we're like, where the heck did that come from????? Makes for some great entertainment. As for Mommy and Daddy, we're doing well, gearing up for winter, UGH. Not my favorite season of the year, to be perfectly honest. I'm a summer dude. And speaking of next summer, late June to be exact, we will be welcoming Miller Munchkin #2!!!! No, your eyes are not deceiving you. We are pregnant!!! We're trying to explain it to Mabri, and she'll point to Brooke's tummy when we ask where Mommy's baby is. She loves playing with her baby dolls, pushing them around in a little stroller and putting them to bed. So we're positive she'll be a great big sister. So that's about it, thanks for checking out our part of the world wide web, and until next time, enjoy some pics.

Brian

This is the aftermath of trying to drink a bowl of yogurt with cherrios in it. Try it you might like it!

This is Mabri with Aaliyah, the baby Brooke watches on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Mabri likes to "help" daddy . . . lookin' a little scary here.

Mabri wiping her baby's bottom. She sees Brooke do this alot during the day. She makes you realize how much she is watching everything we do. She actually started emulating Brooke the other day by gagging (the first trimester gag reflex is out of this world).

Have a fantastic Thursday. Blessings!

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMMMM . . .

2008-10-02T15:06:00.006-04:00

Let me just start by saying I LOVE LOVE LOVE toddlerhood. So far, it has been nothing short of FUN. Yes, there are those days when I am so sick of giving my precious disobedient child time-outs and saying no-no, but as anyone knows kids just have a way of frustrating you and melting your heart simultaneously (so much power!) if they so choose. I wanted to share of few of those melty moments that no matter how much I just want Mabri to stop emptying the kleenex box and shredding it all over the living room while I am in the shower(that really happened this morning), I just want to kiss her sweet little face.

This little girl absolutely loves playing in water.

We went to the zoo last Saturday, and let's just say Mabri was not impressed with the goats and sheep. She cried when we put her down to pet them.

She had an opportunity to touch a snake, and she reached out and really tried to squeeze it. That snake may have digestive problems now. Poor snake.

Look at that face. That's actually the "mom, I'm watching cartoons" face.

I got Mabri a recorder today because I guess I am voluntarily giving up my sanity. She hasn't totally figured it out yet, as you can see her using the wrong end in her mouth, and rather than blowing to make noise, she just uses her voice. The fact that this is a wind instrument is lost on her for the time being.

Big belly laughs. Really not sure what was so funny about me that day, but we were on our way home from the zoo, and she may have been delirious from exhaustion.

Well, my bed is calling. Hope you all have a lovely Friday tomorrow!
Over and out . . .
Brooke for the Miller's

A few new things to share . . .

2008-09-10T09:30:00.014-04:00

Ok. Not alot of exciting things to share, but a few. We have finally started to decorate our house. There are actually things on the walls! It's amazing how much that changes the appearance of the place.
Next, I (Brooke) have started babysitting a little boy named Junah, who is two years old. He is here 5 days a week, about 10 hours a day, while his parents teach. He is a sweet kid and it's really good for Mabri to learn to share her toys and me. She is often not impressed with that and she is in a stage where there are ALOT of fits thrown (yes, she has an angry dance) and many time outs on the couch. We are full on into toddlerhood. Can the terrible two's start at 18 months old? One day a a time. Mabri is picking up on things here and there, learning new words all the time, and still is afraid of dogs, for some reason, but loves to say "woof woof woof". She is really getting into reading books with us, and making animal sounds. She is beginning to put some short sentences together, but you would probably need an interpreter to understand! For example she says "I want that please" it sounds like "iwundabeeet!" and she says it with great desperation. This is probably the most fun but frustrating stage yet. She begs to be "oudide" (outside) constantly. She is also learning to have manners. She says "beeeet" (please) and "dit do"(thank you) and "naa beeeet" (snack please) and "biiidep" (big step).
Last Saturday we added and new a very furry member to our family. Yes, we got a kitty. Her name is Beasley. If anyone can guess where that name came from, I will send you a pack of skittles. She is between 6-8 months old and very shy yet. We got her at an animal shelter. She is not too sure about the kids and mostly will not come out during the day because they are so loud. When Mabri sees her, she just screeches "ditty!" and runs full steam at her. As soon as the kids go down for a nap or Mabri goes to bed for the night, Beasley will come and hang out with us. She's probably the most laid back kitten I have ever seen.
Enough about the kitty. On to pictures!

This is the aftermath of pigtails!

A shiny new hat!

I like me some ribs!

Beasley!

As you can see, Mabri doesn't always go with the flow of things. Apparently, I am a glutton for punishment. And I don't know if you noticed the mess that is our house in the background, yes it's like that everyday until naptime!

One of my favorite things about this age is that they want to dance and move their bodies, so they just move what they feel. It's as if they can't control themselves. It's so flippin' cute!

Ok. I think that's all for now. Hope you all are well.
Much love,
Brooke for the Millers'

The tour you've been waiting for

2008-08-09T15:03:00.011-04:00

Hey everyone.... well, let me start by saying the obligatory apology for how long it's been since our last post. I can justifiably say that we've been busy, but there really are no excuses for our complete and total abandonment of our precious blog. So here we are, 2 months later, and so much has changed and happened. First things first, we are in our house, it's wonderful, we're so happy with how it turned out. We worked on it for about 5 weeks straight, and I must say a huge thanks to all of our ridiculously cool friends who helped us so much. This is your house as much as ours. We moved in the weekend of June 28 and 29. Mabri didnt have any trouble making the transition, she did great. Wow, that kid..... She is growing up right before our very eyes. She's learning words all the time, but we're realizing that she learns so much quicker by watching Brooke and I, rather than us telling her something. She has learned to man a fork and spoon on her own, and her hair, as you will see, just continues to afro itself in to the stratosphere, and we love it. She loves playing with her best friend Addi. We took the kids to the zoo yesterday, and had a great time. So I'll start w/ a few "before" pictures of the house, and then the video tour, Cribs style. well....not quite. I dont say anything about magic happening in the bedroom, but you'll get the idea. Also, we're still working on the outside of the house, getting our flower beds and things in order, and we still need to do some mulching, so we'll get picures of that up on our next post.

ENJOY!!

and some pictures and video of the kiddo

man, we love popcorn

So much to report!

2008-06-02T11:40:00.015-04:00

First of all the news that everyone has been waiting for . . . WE ARE HOMEOWNERS! We FINALLY closed on our house on Thursday the 15th of May. Just a short 104 days since our initial offer. Whew. It feels good. We made it thru and now to the fixing of the house. The day after we closed (Friday), Brian and I went over and tore out all the nasty carpet and linoleum, and trim. Let me just say that it seems Bigfoot may have lived in this house before us. It was stinky, stained and just in need of some serious TLC. But it's all ours! Then at 2am Saturday we left for a week of vacation at lovely Myrtle Beach! We had hoped to get the house worked on and moved in by the time our vacation rolled around, but it didn't work out that way. Myrtle was wonderful. We are starting a tradition with Brian's family , every other year we are gonna rent a condo and go away for a week together. It was so nice to spend time all of us and swim until we were pruney. We had a condo right on the beach and a pool and hot tub in the back. We spent a lot of time in the pool! The ocean was still a little chilly. Our weather was fantastic and we had a great time.
We got home and the marathon begins. Brian has been over at the house everyday in the evenings after work doing stuff, and we had a work day on Thursday with our small group and got a ton done to the place. Oh, I forgot to mention, while we were in Myrtle, we had some wonderful friends doing some work to our little house to surprise us! You guys are such a blessing! Thank you and we love you! Anyway, we have a good bit of work to go, and we are living in a continual state of exhaustion, but it will all be worth it when we can move in this month. Hopefully, 2 1/2 weeks from now, we will be loading the trucks! We'll see.
Renee Byler and I had a garage sale this past weekend and try and unload a few things we didn't want to pack, and the rest is going to be a process to pack. I have started, and I feel like I am living in a blast zone. Ugh.
Now to the little girl . . . she is sooooo much fun! She is really trying to talk, and singing, and laughing and just being silly. She still has to learn more about sharing, but we'll see. Everyday you can see her learning something new. She is learning to clean up her tray on her high chair, and wiping her mouth and hands after meals, throwing things in the trash, ( and then of course getting them back out) she tries to feed herself with a spoon, but likes to dump it on her tray or fling it thru the air. That's fun. We are just really enjoying this stage. When Brian comes thru the door at night, she just lights and and says: "Daddy!" I think I love Brian's reaction to that as much as I love the fact that she is doing that now. She's just getting too big too fast. I better wrap this up before I get too weepy. Here are a ton of pictures and a couple of videos for you to enjoy!

As you can see, she just didn't know what to do, so running in circles was the best option!

My very own doughnut!

Passing time at the garage sale . . .

This video was done just this morning. As you can see she is becoming quite a talker!

I think that's all for us for now. God Bless you all.
Much Love,
The Millers

Don't ask . . .

2008-05-08T10:06:00.009-04:00

Before I launch into this update, I want to say Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband, Brian, who is 29 today (I'm sure i'll pay for that come September). I am so thankful to God for blessing me with such an amazing soul mate and daddy for Mabri. Happy birthday, babe! We love you!

So, we are gonna update this depite the fact that I still can't tell you that we have closed, because we haven't. More stupid hold-ups, and to be honest I don't want to talk about it. Believe me, when we close on this house, you will know! We are hoping for next week . . . don't hold your breath.
Basically, we wanted to share the photos and what not that we have for the kid. She is learning new things everyday. She does pat-a-cake, she plays peek-a-boo (basically this means she's hiding her eyes and waiting for you to ask "where's Mabri?") she is dancing more and more, as you will see in the video, and she likes to spin in circles. She has a little toy vacuum that she likes to use and I am looking forward to the day she graduates from the toy one to the real thing. She is trying to talk all the time, most of it just sounds very intense, but sadly there have been no real words involved most of the time. There is, however one word she has learned beyond a shadow of a doubt: CRACKER. Day or night, she talks about crackers. Try and get her to say mommy or daddy, and she says "cracker" though she totally applies the word to the object, she just likes to say it randomly. She now has 14, yes 14 teeth. Her top eye teeth have come in and she is now working on the bottom ones. I, for one, am SICK OF TEETHING! Poor little girl has been poppin' em thru and I think we are ready for a break from it. She is just the smallest bit obsessed with cell phones. If you leave it within reach, watch out. She has her own, but would rather have ours. She tries to hold it up to her ear to "talk" but it sort of ends up on the back of her neck, and she just pushes all the buttons like mad, so if you have had a random call from one of us lately, it may have been her. All in all, we are really enjoying this stage of life. Mabri is so much fun, so full of energy, sass, emotions, and sometimes poo. Enjoy the pictures!

Well, I think that may be all for now. God bless. See ya later.
Brooke for the Miller's

Sunny and 75 anyone?

2008-04-18T19:59:00.011-04:00

hello everyone, man, this weather is just freakin amazing! We've been playing outside, and we had our first skinned knees of the year today. Mabri loves playing outside, and usually throws a fit whenever we come inside. She is learning lots of new words, like "nana" for banana, night night, uh oh, and love you. She is comprehending more of what we say to her, like "go get your cup" or "where is your blankie?" and she launches an all out search for them. She's getting more and more feisty, and sometimes throws a fit when something that she shouldn't have is taken from her. Yes, I know, it's hard to imagine, our perfect child, throwing a fit about anything, but it's true.
Ok, now Brooke here. Brian got it started for me. Well, update on the house. We are in contract, but are still waiting to have several documents signed by the same bank dude so that we can get on with it and set a closing date. We have extended our closing date to no later than May 6th, Lord willing, but that is not set, that is a hope. Let me just say that no matter who you buy a house from, it is not simple, but we certainly were not expecting to have to jump thru as many hoops as we have, but knowing it is worth it, we continue to act like the trained monkeys we are and jump. It's so long and complicated, there is no way we will ever publish the saga here, but if you really want to hear all about it, give one of us a call. Sorry for the news. We had really hoped to be able to tell you all that we have the keys, etc. on this update, but maybe on the next one.
Alright, time for pictures.

Reading a book to herself . . .

Learning to eat a "nana" like a big girl . . . and taking HUGE bites!

Hollywood!

This is Brooke for the miller's signing off. God bless and good night.

holy cow, we have a house.......

2008-03-22T18:17:00.007-04:00

Yes, ladies and gents, it's true, 6 and a half weeks after sending our initial offer in, we are in contract to purchase 201 Prospect Ave. Mechanicsburg, Ohio, 43044. We don't have a closing date yet, but we're really hoping to close by the end of the month. It's a foreclosure, it was built in 1995, about 1100 sqare feet, 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. It also has a full unfinished basement (man-cave, anyone?) The house is built on a hill, so the basement has a walkout in the back, which we love. We have a ton of work to do, but we are blessed with many wonderful skilled friends who are more than willing to help us. Basically, we'll need to tear out all the carpet and all the vinyl in the kitchen and bathrooms. So new flooring through-out, tile in the kitchen and bathrooms. Also, we're going to paint the whole inside, after we get the walls patched up. We have tons of things we'd like to do to the place eventually, but the flooring and paint is priority before we move. Also getting the roof patched up. We are really excited to be home-owners, and we feel very blessed to find this new of a house for a very reasonable price, and also we were able to get a really good interest rate. So here's a few pics of the place. We have some cleaning up to do on the outside too, but just think "potential" So if anyone is interested in getting your hands dirty that I havn't talked to yet, just let me know, and I'm sure we can put you to work.

Mabri is doing great, walking and climbing over everything, and jabbering like crazy. She loves playing with her friend Addy, they don't always share the best, but we'll work on that. She's excited about the new house, might not know it yet, but she is. So that's what's happening in the Miller family, more pics will appear of the house as it's worked on. Hope everyone has a great Easter weekend.

The Millers

It's been a long winter so far . . .

2008-03-08T10:17:00.008-05:00

Well, here we are on March 8th, we are stuck inside due to a level 3 snow emergency rating, and b/c we don't want to be arrested, we will stay inside. Thankfully, we are all well, which has not been the case since before Christmas. Mabri is over all her snottiness, and Brian and I are not sick either. A miracle has occurred.
We are still waiting ever so paitiently on word about a house we have put an offer on, and as of yesterday is was FIVE weeks ago we faxed in the first offer. It's a long ridiculous story, but we are gonna make it. We will let you all know when we know something.
Mabri is talking like crazy, trying so hard to communicate her thoughts with us, sadly we don't speak the same language yet. She is growing so fast, and walks really well now (yes, her arms have lowered considerably). She also has come to that lovely place where she can now choose to be naughty. We can tell her NO NO and she will stop to think about it, maybe try to touch the forbidden object really fast, and look back at us to see if we mean it. It's hard not to laugh at times.
Here are some pictures of the last few weeks:

First pigtails, or as close as I can get right now. This is the face we make when Mommy is pulling on my hair.

First time out in the snow. Let's just say she wasn't all that impressed. This was the best picture. The rest of them she looks really annoyed or about to cry.

This was hilarious. She had a very runny nose, and was eating cherrios, and for some odd reason decided to pick one up with her mouth, rather than her fingers. The rest is history. We had a good laugh about that one.

It's amazing how long her hair is when it's wet frim her bath. She looks so different.

This one is just my favorite one from the other day when she was looking out the window.

Ok. That's enough from me. I have sooo much vegging out to do during this lovely snow emergency. Hope you have less snow than we do!
Much Love,
Brooke for the Millers

Hey everybody, I'm walking!

2008-02-20T09:32:00.002-05:00

Hey guys! I just wanted to post this little video so you could see this girl walk. And yes, her arms are always in the air when she's walking. Her father walks like that . . . we are gonna have to work on that but, not bad for a week after her birthday! As you can see, there is a good bit of wobble left there, but we have the gist of it. Have a beautiful day everyone!
Much Love,
Brooke for the Miller Fam

It's my birthday!!!!

2008-02-10T21:08:00.000-05:00

Unbelievable. A year ago we were in labor, counting minutes between contractions, and getting ready to meet the newest member of the Miller family. Needless to say, the first year has gone by ridiculously fast, and we can't believe what an amazing daughter Mabri has turned out to be. We love her more every day. She is about 23 lbs and 30 inches tall. She has 10 teeth, including three molars, and as you can see, unbelievably curly hair. She is taking a few wobbly steps, and if Brooke and I sit about 6 feet apart, she can walk the whole way. She says momma and daddy, somewhat randomly, but we think she means it. She loves music, and is turning out to be quite a dancer.

It's been fun to see all her personality coming out, and as you can see her moods can change in the blink of an eye.

We had a birthday party for her and her best friend Addison Byler a couple of weeks ago, and had a great time. That cupcake didn't stand a chance. Mommy had to dig bits of it out of her ears and nose that night.

Mommy here now. It's hard to believe our little girl is one already, and I may have a meltdown on her birthday tomorrow, but I think I can speak for the both of us and say that it has been the most amazing year of our lives. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and we want to say thanks to each and every one of you for being a part of our lives, for being in our "village". We are blessed. Good night all.
Much Love, The Millers

So I had to share these with you all . . .

2008-01-18T16:21:00.000-05:00

Just a couple of quick video clips that I thought you should see! These crazy kids!

Happy New Year everybody!

2008-01-04T11:54:00.000-05:00

Well, it's over already. And on we go into January. Christmas was great. We got to spend alot of time with family and a few friends along the way. Mabri had a great time opening gifts, but of course went for the wrapping paper more than anything. I think we spent a good bit of time fishing things out of her mouth. She had a great time playing with her cousin Carter. It was so fun watching them interact with each other this year. This is Mabri and Carter with Uncle Jason and Daddy on Chirstmas eve.

Here is our immediate family on Brian's side . . .

Here is my Papa with his youngest Great-Grandchild . . .

My Mom and Dad with the munchkin . . .

And here is a random pic of her playing with the fire. Thankfully, it's not real.

Well, as for this family, we are currently all getting over some sort of illness. Poor little girl started off with what I think was either a mild form of croup or maybe bronchitis, and it turned into strep throat, and eye infections. She is doing much better now, while Brian and I have both working on getting over whatever we have. Needless to say, we rang in the new year in a rather pathetic fashion: at home in our pj's. So, that's the latest for us. I can hardly believe, but the next post will probably be of the kid turning 1! Where did the time go? I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and New Year! That's all 'til next time. Much love, Brooke for the Miller's

Let it snow, let it.....ugh let it melt!

2007-12-15T17:52:00.000-05:00

hello friends, welcome to the Miller Family Chronicle, Christmas Edition...... It's Saturday, the 17th, and we have just gotten about half a foot of snow dumped on us. Needless to say, we havnt done much this afternoon. We did catch the third installation of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, and were left a little confused by the multiple plots and exchanges. Anyhoo.... Christmas is coming, like it or not, and we're getting really excited to see family again. Mabri is growing and learning new skills all the time. We now are high fiving, giving kisses, and punching teeth through those stubborn gums. She's also very excited about the new first cousin that's on the way. December has been a busy month already. I had the opportunity to travel to Ennepetal, Germany with the band Disciple and play Christmas Rock Night, an annual 2 day Christian music festival that's held the first week in December. I had an amazing time, met lots of nice Germans and Dutch, and did my first ever crowd-surfing. There's numerous videos on Youtube, just search Disicple CRN 2007. Anyway, I was very glad to get back home to my ladies, I missed them very much. We are currently searching for a house to buy. We've looked at several, and are planning on looking at 3 more tomorrow after church. The whole process can be a little intimidating, but we're hoping that it will be obvious which house we're supposed to be in... anyway, consider this the Miller Christmas card, enjoy some good food, family, and friends this holiday season, and have a great new year.

time for pics!!!!!
>

Slow down, kiddo!!!

2007-11-12T21:15:00.000-05:00

Hey guys, Brian here. Yet another issue of the Miller Family Chronicle. We're sitting here on a lazy Monday evening. The kiddo is in bed, and I have about 40 minutes to get this updated before Horatio Cain and his CSI: Miami team come in to my living room and take me away to sunny Miami for an hour. So here goes: Life is great. Mabri is developing new skills ridiculously fast. She's pulling herself up on anything within reach, and as you will see in the video below, she loves her new walk-behind toy. It's awesome to come home from work and see her light up when I walk in the door. As you can see, she's getting a mop of curls going as well, sooooo glad she got mommy's hair and not mine. Brooke and Renee thought it'd be hilarious to dress the girls up over the Halloween season and took some pictures. Enough rambling. Life is good. Be blessed.
B

October?! Already?! SHEEESH

2007-10-17T21:45:00.000-04:00

Well, this year is flying, many pictures have been snapped, teeth and hair and growing, as you will see, and yes, it's possible. She gets cuter every day. I know, you're thinking, "they're biased." Nope. It's just plain simple fact. See for yourself.

Hey, give her a break, going potty is hard work.....

Apparently we have a future plumber on our hands......

What a week!

2007-09-22T05:35:00.000-04:00

Here are a few pics of Mabri when we went camping the other weekend. It was early in the morning, and Daddy and Mabri were sitting by the fire . . . We had an awesome time despite the torrential downpour and can't wait for next year's trip.

Ok, seriously. I know that people are always saying that "they grow up so fast" but I think I was hoping that Mabri never heard them so that she wouldn't. So much for that idea. So, in the last couple of weeks of our lives, our little girl has sprouted 3 teeth, with another on the way, and she started crawling! You can see the lower ones in one of the pictures. She's got one big one through on the top, so we've been affectionately calling her "snaggle-tooth". It may not sound like a big deal to some of you, but to me she is changing right before my eyes, and way too fast! She also has been sleeping in some very strange positions that we caught on camera which is hilarious.

Until next time, it's those crazy Millers, B, B, and M!!!!

We have tooth!

2007-09-06T08:02:00.000-04:00

No, there is no grammatical mistake there, we only have ONE tooth. Mabri has finally sprouted her first tooth, and just this morning I noticed we can see another one just under the surface. It will probably be poking out there by tomorrow. She is becoming much more mobile, getting close to crawling, and it brings me to the realization that I might be a terrible housekeeper, because she can find the junk on the floor that the vacuum or broom may have missed. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the person operating said cleaning instrument.
So, I'm pretty sure that I just missed the entire month of august. Wow, things have been down right nuts. We are looking forward to a more relaxing october ? . . . maybe. Not a whole lot of anything new, for those of you knew about it, we finally got the jeep back after a month and a half out of commission. We had to replace the motor. I don't really even want to talk about it, I'm just glad that saga is past. We have begun the search for a house. Maybe by this time next year we'll have news on that, as it is probably going to be a long process. Throw a prayer or two up for us about that if you think about it, we could use it. Wow, I thought about doing a recap of August for you all, but I am having trouble remembering it all, so I guess I'll just throw some pics your way. Love and blessings from the Millers!

Thanks to Renee with re:defined photography for this pic!

. . .and so good night to all and to all a good night!

July What?! Already?!

2007-07-26T20:51:00.000-04:00

Hey everybody! I truly cannot believe that July is nearly at an end.
Tomorrow we will be taking Brian to the airport to fly to Washington
State to play another show for Disciple. No, Mabri and I do not get to
go this time. So me and the little munchkin will be on our own this
weekend, and we will miss daddy very much.
Everyday Mabri is growing and changing and making new weird noises that crack me up. She started one this week that makes her gag, but then she smiles and even laughs at herself. She had her first bananas the other day and made terrible faces and even had a full body gross shiver, and then proceeded to eat the rest of it happily. Still won't take a bottle, but we are working on the sippy cup. She just likes to chew on it right now. She is doing some teething, but nothing is poking thru yet. She is pretty much sitting up by herself now, with a few tumbles here and there. Well, that's all I can think of that you've all been dying to know. Life is sweet. My little girl is sweet.
*SIGH* On to pictures . . .

If this doesn't make all the cold-hearted people in the world melt, I don't know what will . . .

. . . And here we have our first bath in the kitchen sink . . .

. . . and this was amazing. She actually fell asleep in her exersaucer. Shall we rename it the "exersleeper?" (ugh, I'm so lame)

And last but now least, the hat. I fell in love with this hat, and on her it was even better!

Well, that's all for now. This is Brooke for the Millers' signing off. Much love.

busy, busy, busy

2007-07-10T23:10:00.000-04:00

Hello all, and welcome to another issue of the life and times of the Millers. So, wow, a month has passed in the blink of an eye, and life continues to get busier and busier. We had a great time down in Tennessee this past weekend at our good friends Paul and Jordan's wedding. Lots has happened in the last month. I got the opportunity to fill in at guitar for our good friends in Disciple for three shows in late June, and I'm flying out to George, Washington in a few weeks to play one more for now. Not sure if I'll be doing any more, we'll have to see....

Anyway, we all know the real reason you're at this site, and that is to take another gander at this bundle of laughs we call Mabri Quin. It's amazing how much she is growing and changing everyday. She's at about 18 lbs. and 27 1/2 inches long now. She is doing alot of talking and some of her new sounds that she is making are dangerously close to "ma-ma" but I suppose we can't count it since she doesn't know what it means. We are having so much fun seeing her personality beginning to really show. Sooooooo, here she is!
TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

First real photo shoot, we're taking more this week!!!

First attempt at rice cereal.... So far, mixed reviews

June 11th: 4 months old!

2007-06-10T22:16:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that our little pumpkin is four months old already. She is now weighing in at a whopping 16lbs. 12oz. and is about 27" long or so. She tends to wiggle when I try to measure her. She is doing great. Sleeping thru most of the night nearly every night.
We are discovering just how much she really is daddy's girl. She LOVES the TV. If it is on, you may as well forget getting her attention. She just stares at it. This first pic I thought was appropriate: apple and tree. Sometimes I will turn on cartoons for her during the day, and she will squeal and talk to them as if they are having a conversation. She is really loving the fact that she has found her voice and likes to experiment with it.
Yesterday I was giving her a bath and as we were all done and I was draining the water, she decided that this was the moment she had been waiting for all day: She pooped in the tub. She then made eye contact with me and smiled. I think she got that from daddy too.

Here she is sitting in her new chair. She likes to sit up so much and take it all in, so often she will sit in her little "throne" on the table while we eat.

Forced to be together whether they like it or not!

So I bought this unbelievable little bathing suit for Mabri and decided after church that I was going to try it on her. Needless to say it became a photo op. She is looking very Hollywood these days!

Well, that's about it for today. Bed time is approaching. Have a fantastic week everyone. God bless!
Brooke for the Millers

Happy Memorial Day!!

2007-05-28T07:11:00.000-04:00

Well, here we are, Memorial Day 2K7. First of all, we want to say thank you to the men and women of the Armed Forces who sacrifice their lives every day for our freedom. It's amazing how much more I appreciate this now, because of the fact that I had a first cousin and a good friend both serve in Iraq for close to a year, and many of Brooke's family has served or are serving at this time. Brooke's grandpa, Buzz, is a Bronze Star winner. I know not everyone agrees w/ all the reasons for being in Iraq, but for the record, I just want to say a public thanks to all these people for being willing to serve.

Now on a lighter note, here's some updates as to what this amazing little girl is doing now... With a little strategic postioning, she can roll over, barely... but she did it!!! She has also really found her voice the last few weeks, and will now lay on the floor, or in her swing, and just chatter away, squealing and giggling. It's awesome! She's sleeping really well; we put her to bed at about 930 and she usually sleeps till around 5 or 6. She continues to amaze us every day...

Also, I just want to announce that we have a DISHWASHER!!!!!!!!! It's amazing... note to whoever knows my brother: tease him about how long it took him to put his in. 3 DAYS!!!!! Mine was hooked up and running in 2 hours, including a nice cabinet around it. And then he's probly going to say something about a fluke golf round a while back, just dont pay any attention to it.... hee hee......

enough babbling... enjoy the pics, have a great holiday everyone!!!

B and B and M

Mabri and Addy: friends for life? or mortal enemies...... hmmm

Mabri Quin Miller: America's Next Top Model

Good to be back, Plain City

2007-05-01T22:10:00.000-04:00

Hey guys, well, in the process of attaching the pics to this post, I managed to delet most of my text. So, where was I? Well, the reason for the length of time between posts was because we have moved to good ol' Plain City. We have a great 3 bedroom apt, and Mabri has her own room now, which she has taken to amazingly well. She's doing great, and we are all loving being this close to Grandpa and Grammy and also being 3 minutes from work. We are feeling really good about being here and feeling like we are right where we need to be. To those of you who are seeing this blog for the first time, we're sorry we havnt gotten hold of you for sooo long, but enjoy the pics!!!

ps. We'll have pics of the new place up as soon as we put all of our crap away!!!!

Brian

Proud papa? yea, that's me

2007-04-03T18:49:00.000-04:00

hey guys, it's Brian here with a few more pics of our totally awesome kid... Just wanted to fill you all in a little on what's going on in Brooke and I's lives. I have been at my new job with Mark Troyer Remodeling for a month now, and so far it's going really, really well. We are on the prowl for a new apt in the Plain City area; we have a few options, still thinking and praying it through. We will be moving hopefully at the end of the month. We're going to be looking for a house to buy in the next year, Lord willing, and can't wait to be in a home of our own. As some of you know, I sliced my thumb pretty good a few weeks ago, and it has healed up nicely. I took my stitches out a few days ago, and I'm constantly amazed at how the body can heal itself. Sorry, I dont have any gory pictures to show you all. Anyhooey, that's about it, enjoy the pics, and feel free to comment away!!!

Brian

More pics to make you melt . . .

2007-03-22T09:26:00.000-04:00

We are putty in her hands. One day we will have to learn to be the hard hearted parents who sometimes say no, but for now . . . how can we?

Hmmm . . .

Daddy and his little girl like taking naps together!

Mabri is doing great. We've had a few good nights. After trying everything, and I mean everything, we finally got her to sleep in her bed for most of the night. We had to let her cry for a little while, but she finally feel asleep. While she cried in her bed, I sat and cried in the living room for the first night. It's not easier each night, but I know this too shall pass!

2007-03-13T13:35:00.000-04:00

So by now you must know that we cannot help but be a little trigger happy with the camera and of course we have to share them with all of you!
Daddy and Mabri are twins . . .

Mabri usually does pretty well in here bath, but there are those moments when she really acts like maybe she's not so into it.

"Aww Mom, stop pounding me on the back. I don't have to burp!"

Mabri was one month old on Sunday. I can't believe we have had her for a month already.
Thanks again everyone for all the comments! God Bless and have a great day!
Brooke

The thumb is found!

2007-03-07T10:38:00.000-05:00

Mabri found her thumb! Well, for a few seconds. She didn't seem too impressed with it, but nevertheless . . .

Motherhood is unreal. During the day, things are pretty cool. She naps, and we can go places, but by the time evening rolls around, the fussiness sets in and the real test begins for mom and dad. I love it all, despite the bags under my eyes.
Here are a few more pics of our little girl chillin' out, sleepin' on someone's chest, her favorite past time.

I think we wore her out. . .

That's all for now! Have a blessed day!
Brooke for the Millers

sleepless nights . . . oh the bliss!

2007-02-23T19:19:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! New mom here. Yes, I am alive and thriving. Things are going well. I still look at my little girl and cannot believe she is here and is mine to keep. As for the labor and delivery, it was and amazing experience that I am still processing. One of the moments that makes me laugh was when she was being weighed. let me say that I was shocked at how much she weighed and when I heard, I asked for a high five. I guess I felt I deserved it. I loved being here at home and for us it was the best.
Mabri is amazing and I know every parent thinks that about their child, but I am in awe of her. We are currently working on the sleepless nights trying to change them into "sleepful". Everyday is different, and she keeps me on my toes. Today we were getting ready to leave, and she threw up all over me and the couch and of course herself. Needless to say, we were slightly delayed.
All in all, things are moving along. I am getting a little more confident everyday that I may have a clue what I am doing, and one thing is for sure: I fall in love with her a little more each day and I have never been so enamored with anything or anyone in all my life.
Must be off, more later!
Thanks everyone for the posts! We love hearing from you!
Brooke

2007-02-14T22:54:00.000-05:00

hey guys, it's Brian.... Mabri is adjusting to life, and we are amazed by how our love for her grows every day. Not saying that we havn't had challanges... Being a brand new parent is pretty much a guessing game for the first little bit. Mabri is improving her nursing skills, and has thoroughly mastered the art of sleeping all the time. We're so proud!!! Brooke and I are working on being patient when we're not sure what she wants, and we're glad that Brooke's mom Doris has been here helping w/ dishes and laundry. Thanks!!! We've got lots of family coming in for the weekend.... Mabri's cousin Carter is excited to meet his first cousin!!! Here's a few more pics of her and her best friend Addison, daughter of Joe and Renee Byler. We were amazed at the difference in size, w/ Addi being a month old already!!! That's ok, they'll even out....

thanks for all the posts!!!

Brian

She's here!!!!!

2007-02-12T12:16:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone, we'd like you all to welcome the newest addition to the Brian Miller family. Mabri Quin Miller was born at 6:39 pm on Sunday, Feb. 11th. She weighed in at 12 lbs. and 6 ounces, yes, you read right, she's a big baby!! She's 22 and 3/4 inches long, and absolutely perfect. I am so proud of Brooke; she was so strong and amazing. It's still processing through my head what we've just been through. Brooke and Mabri are doing great, Brooke is tired and sore, but we are so grateful to God for a safe arrival. She hasn't nursed real well yet, but our wonderful midwife, Rhoda Baughman, is here working on that for us. We want to thank Rhoda and her assistant Irena for being so great and supportive, and knowing exactly what to do. We're just relaxing and enjoying our daughter so much. She's an amazing gift. Thanks to all our friends and family for prayers and support. We'll have more pictures in the next few days!!!!

Brian

6 days overdue and counting . . .

2007-02-07T12:19:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody! Sorry to keep you all waiting. First off, our computer is down at the moment and we have somewhat limited access to let you all know the big news. Secondly, there is no big new yet! I am now 6 days overdue and trying with everything that I've got to encounter each day with grace. Believe me, that has been a challenge. God is good and I know He will take us through this, but this has really been a test of our patience and apparently it's not quite over. Overall, I am feeling fine, just huge and uncomfortable. Brian is a huge help with keeping my spirits up, as I become impatient or just miserable. Sorry for the delay in information, I promise we will do our best to keep you up as we can! Love to you all and thank you for your prayers. Keep them coming! We need them!
Brooke

Is it Thursday yet?

2007-01-28T20:56:00.000-05:00

hey guys, just got back in from another checkup, everything looks great, the baby has dropped quite a bit this week, and we are really ready to meet this little person. When our labor starts, I'll be updating this site every few hours (if I remember!!) So check back in here for play by play, news, stats, and scores.....

here's a picture of Brooke today, 4 days to due date.....

be safe everyone

Brian

Patiently waiting . . . who am I kidding?

2007-01-23T16:46:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. Brooke here. Just thought maybe I could add a little something to our little page. I'm sure you are all waiting just as patiently as we are (HA!). Just had another checkup with our lovely midwives and everything is great! I am having alot of Braxton-Hicks contractions(which just means that my uterus is practicing and getting in shape!) but nothing for real yet. We are getting really excited for this little person to join us out here.
So, Brian had mentioned the possiblility of our due date being a little off, but I think we can safely say that it is probably more accurate than we would like! We'll just have to wait! Well, since there is nothin' new and exciting to report at the moment, I'm out!

first post... wow, I'm more nervous than I thought......

2007-01-07T20:04:00.000-05:00

Well, it's Jan 7th, and welcome to the first posting in our cozy little corner of the information superhighway. Brooke is doing great, although we are definitely reaching a point where we're ready to have this baby!!! Sleep is getting harder and harder to come by, as is overall comfort. We were told by our midwife, Rhoda, that Brooke has been measuring consistently large for her due date, so the original date of Feb. 1st might be somewhat miscalculated. So we're not real sure when to expect this baby, but probably in the next couple weeks. It's been a fast 9 months, that's for sure....

We recently took some pictures, thanks to Renee Byler for taking them! enjoy!!